Learning how to make gravy from turkey drippings is the thing that will set a special meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas apart. Because there's nothing in the world that will give a meal a special home-cooked flavor than real homemade turkey gravy.

Of course, you can always choose to make your gravy ahead of time. But if you make turkey gravy from drippings from your bird, it will be infused with a richness of flavor developed over hours of roasting the bird. There's nothing quite like it-- and no matter how much you spend on the bottled stuff, it just can't compare to homemade turkey gravy.

What would a festive turkey dinner be without the gravy? Here, I'll go over step by step instructions to make gravy from turkey drippings. But you'll also find some specific turkey gravy recipes here.

Okay, you don't actually need any "tools" to make gravy, per se, but there are some supplies that will make your job a little easier... especially if you're serving turkey on a holiday and the house is already hectic!

Gravy Separator. This is THE time-saving gravy tool: the gravy separator This is a great utensil that helps you to strain the fat from the juices. While you want a little fat for flavor (that's sort of the point of making homemade gravy from turkey drippings!), you're not going to want all the fat, as your gravy will end up too greasy. Taking this step allows you to adjust the fat to a suitable level for your diet and taste buds.

If you can't find a gravy separator, you can strain out the fat by hand. This is simple if you have time to pop your drippings in the fridge-- the fat will settle and solidify on tip. But if you don't, a gravy separator will save you tons of time and effort trying to de-fat turkey drippings.

Whisk. A second handy gravy tool is a wire whisk. Chances are, you've already got one... and even if you don't, they're not expensive. When you make gravy from turkey drippings, you would use the whisk in making the roux (fat with butter and flour to which the juices get added slowly -- you'll see instructions for that below). Using the whisk for mixing helps keep lumps from forming. And nobody likes lumpy gravy!

Gravy Boat. You can serve gravy in just about anything. But a gravy boat is pretty and makes pouring gravy over everything ultra easy. They even sell gravy boats, like this insulated gravy boat, that actually keep the gravy warm.

This is a great idea for a buffet table, as gravy tends to get really gloopy and thick as it sits-- which is a shame for people who are going back for seconds (and thirds!). Some people also like a gravy boat that matches their place settings. You can read a bit more about this on my page about Thanksgiving dinnerware.

Now, I'm going to give step by step instructions below on how to make gravy from turkey drippings. But before you get started, here's the most important part: the quantities. You don't need any recipe at all if you know this:

Turkey Gravy Quantities:
1 tbsp. fat (butter or turkey fat)
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup liquid (stock or drippings or a combination of both)

As long as you use these quantities and follow the directions below, you can make any amount of gravy, from a measly cup to a whole pitcher.

Learning how to make turkey gravy isn't at all difficult. Once you do it for the first time, you'll be able to do it easily every time. It'll become second nature-- and you make find that you like making homemade gravy from other meats, like whole chickens, pot roasts, you name it.

In order to make gravy from turkey drippings, you've gotta have a turkey! Here, you'll find a ton of recipes for a homemade turkey.

1. Finish off the Turkey

When your roast turkey (you can find a great recipe for roast turkey here!) has finished cooking, remove it to a large platter or cutting board to rest for 20-30 minutes. This is the time you have to make turkey gravy from the drippings.

Note: If you make a brined turkey, it's generally not a good idea to make gravy from turkey drippings. Why? Because the drippings tend to be very salty-- a bit too salty for gravy. But this changes from recipe to recipe, so take this advice with a grain of salt (pun intended).

2. Pour off Drippings

Pour off your turkey drippings into a gravy/fat separator (as described above). Note you want enough for about two cups of gravy (or double if you have more people), so if there isn't that much liquid, you'll have to add stock later to flesh out what's going to become your foundation for the gravy.

3. Skim the Fat

Let the drippings sit in the gravy separator a few minutes to allow the fat to come to the top. Pour the fat-freed drippings from the gravy separator into a large, heat-safe measuring cup. Depending on how much gravy you want to make (and how many people you have over for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner), you'll want to measure out about two (but as much as four) cups of fat-skimmed liquid.

How much liquid you have in the bottom of the roasting pan is going to depend hugely on how you prepare your turkey. If you add a lot of liquid to the bottom and do a lot of basting, you'll have plenty of liquid. If yours is a dryer preparation, however, you'll need to add lots of chicken stock to make up the bulk of your gravy. You'll almost always need to add some, though-- and often a lot.

Giblet Gravy Option. To make gravy from turkey drippings with a richer flavor, you can add the giblets to the stock along with a little onion, carrot and celery. Simmer until the giblets finish cooking then strain the liquid again. Note that the giblets do produce more fat, so you'll want to separate this stock, too, before you use it. I like to prepare the giblet stock while the turkey's in the oven so it's ready to go when it's time to prepare the turkey gravy.

Check here for a full recipe on making turkey gravy with giblets and drippings.

4. Scrape the Bottom

Now you want to turn your attention to the roasting pan. All those little brown bits and pieces in the bottom are where the most flavor lies-- this is why we make gravy from turkey drippings in the first place!

Put the roasting pan on the stove over a medium flame and pour the two-to-four cups of stock/drippings you've made into it. Stir and get all those little brown pieces up from the bottom. You can either strain this afterward (getting the color and most of the flavor of the browned bits) or leave the little pieces in as part of your gravy. Most people strain so the gravy is smooth.

5. Make a Roux from the Turkey Drippings

Step five when you make gravy with turkey drippings happens in a saucepan. To make two cups of turkey gravy, melt one tablespoon of butter with one tablespoon of turkey fat (you'll find this left behind in your gravy separator) in you saucepan.

When the fat and butter (you can also use all butter or all turkey fat-- whatever you like) are melted, add two tablespoons of flour. Whisk over a low flame until the flour and fat are fully integrated and smooth (3-4 minutes).

6. Add Your Stock & Drippings

Slowly (very slowly) start pouring your stock into the flour mixture. Continue to whisk constantly. When all the stock has been added to the flour, turn the heat up to medium, whisking often. You want to bring the gravy to a boil for a minute, then returning to simmering until it reaches the desired thickness. Season with salt and pepper to personal taste.

If your gravy turns out too thick, you can add more stock, water, or even milk. If it's too thin, bring the liquid to a boil and add some flour mixed together with water. Alternatively (and probably the better option if you have time) just let it simmer until some of the water evaporates. For gravy that seems too greasy, soak up the excess oil using a piece of fresh bread.

It's important to note, though, that if you separate the fat from your turkey drippings and follow the following quantities (yep, I'm going to repeat the-- they're important):

Turkey Gravy Quantities:
1 tbsp. fat (butter or turkey fat)
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup liquid (stock or drippings or a combination of both)

You shouldn't run into any of these problems when you make gravy from turkey drippings.